November 25th
My New Place (in the style of Aldo Leopold):
Over the Thanksgiving holiday, I returned home to Montgomery, Vermont, north from Burlington. My home is surrounded by lush forests full of life and intriguing sights. When I first arrived, a thick white blanket covered the ground, and speckles of white filled the air. It was a sight that should could have been encased in a snow globe. As I trudged behind my house into the woods, I felt as if I was a figure inside of this globe, surrounded in every direction by the glass sky, so clear and so smooth. The emerald brushes swept the white blanket- evergreen needles that were some of the only dashes of color left to contrast the heavy snow and bare deciduous limbs. Another pop of color attracted my eye- glowing red lights floating in the sky. These were chokecherries (prunus virginiana), bright red as droplets of blood against the white background. Just like in my place in Centennial Woods, here I have a favorite sitting rock. I found it covered in snow a bit deeper in. I brushed away the snow and took a seat, breathing in the fresh air and noticing my surroundings. Several chickadees chirped in the branches above, fluttering near me to test how close they could get. I heard squirrels chattering and noticed evidence of them eating in the trees. Their tracks littered the snow. A few patches of soft moss peaked through the white blanket. I heard a woodpecker knocking on a tree in the distance. The trees around me so straight and bare looked like soldiers lined up to salute. I saluted them back. It is the small yet precious details that I can only notice if I immerse myself in nature that I cherish here at home.
(emerald brushes)
(sitting rock)
(evidence of squirrels in the trees)
(soldier trees)
(moss peaking through the white blanket of snow)
(the last leaves!)
Ecology in Montgomery vs Centennial Woods (in the style of Mary Holland):
At home, there were chickadees in sight wherever I looked. In search of food during the cold winter months, these birds are frequent bird feeder visitors, which may be why there were so many surrounding my house. I have seen them in each of my visits to my spot in Centennial Woods as well (their distribution extends throughout the state). Chickadees are quite amazing creatures given that they can go into controlled hypothermia during frigid winter nights to survive. They can lower their body temperatures 12-15 degrees lower than their normal daytime temperature of 108 degrees F. This allows them to conserve around 25% of their hourly metabolic expenditure when the outside temperature is at or below freezing.
The chokecherry tree stands out in the winter months. The bright red berries will only hold on for another few weeks before they are eaten by nuthatches and waxwings. The chokecherry’s distribution covers most of the United States and extends north to Canada. It likely exists close to my spot in Centennial Woods as well even though I have not yet noticed it. The berries are toxic to moose and deer who are grazing in the same areas that it grows. They become most toxic after the leaves have wilted after a frost or snow, this time of year. Although not toxic to people, the chokecherry has a bitter taste. It is commonly made into jams, and sweetened with sugar. Soon the trees will lose these berries and will be as bare as the other deciduous trees in the forest.
Other aspects of the ecology in my two places are extremely similar as well. Since they are only about an hour’s drive apart, the same types of trees, plants, and animals inhabit both areas. Since Montgomery is a bit farther north, it is slightly colder, more elevated, and sees more snow, possibly speeding up the winter phenology by a few days.
Link to map of new place: https://goo.gl/maps/tnLycQFZcsT2
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